Couch-bed.



G. H. YOUNG. COUCH BED. APPLICATION FILED D110. 5, 1911.

= v Patented July section and nected to arm 10 is-fixed upon the rockCLARENCE H. YOUNG, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

COUCH-BED.

Application filed December 5, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLAnuNoa H. YOUNG, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Boston, in the county of Suifolk and Commonwealth-ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments inCouch-Beds, of which the following is a full and exact description.

This invention relates to that type of couch beds wherein onebed-section is mov able away from and back upon a second section inorder to convert a single bed or couch into a double-width bed, and viceversa; and my improvements pertain to the means for enabling the movablesection to be controlled by foot-pressure.

In the drawings forn'iing part of the specification, Figure 1 is aperspective view of one terminal portion. of a couch bed provided withmy improvements. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the treadle. Fig. 3 is asectional elevation on the line X-X in Fig. Fig. 4 is a plan view of thepivotal portion of the treadle, Figs. 3 and 4 being on a larger scalethan the others. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the spring .counterbalancingthe movable section. Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the abutment forsaid spring.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the reference numerals 1,'2 and 3 designatethe members composing the end. frame of the stationary 4; and 5, themembers of the Specification of Letters Patent.

end frame of the movable section of the.

couch bed; the mattress sections (3, 7 being attached to theframe-members 3 and #1 respectivel Each end of the movable section is,in the form of couch bed illustrated, conthe stationary section by meansof parallel arms 9, 10; the arm 9 being pivoted at the points 11 and ofthe arm 10 is pivoted at 18 to the endframe member 4-. The lower end ofsaid shaft 1st which has bearings in theframe-mcmbers 2, Said arms 9 and10 are duplicated at the other end of the bed-sections, and between thetwo arms 10 is located a bar 15 by means of which said arms are heldagainst'the tension of. the mattress section 7. mounted onthe rock shaft14. close beside the arm 1O at one end of the couch bed, is the doubletrcadle 16 having at each extremity a foot piece 17. At the side of thearm opposite to said treadle, is a plate 20 rigidly connected to thetreadle by studs 21 and also loosely mounted on the extended 12, whilethe upper end i l l Patented July 2, 1912..

Serial No. 664,075.

end of said rock shaft. These studs are so positioned that when the arm10 is in either extreme of its angular position, as in that holding themovable section drawn forward illustrated in Fig. 1, said arm will beresting against the stud at that side, and that end of the pedal orlever 16 at such side will be on the level with the frame-member 2 andresting in a socket or hook 22. When one end of the lever 16 is thus inone socket or hook,

22, the other end will be elevated, as shown in Fig. 1, and by pressingthe foot forcibly upon the foot-piece or treadlc 17 thus elevated, thestud 21 in contact with the arm 10 will cause the latter to be raised upto and then past a vertical position, carrying the movable bed-sectionwith it, until the latter descends by its own gravity onto thestationary section. During this latter action, the arm will move intocontact with the other stud 21 and so swing down with it the formerlyelevated treadle 17 into its socket or hook Q2.

For counterbalancing the movable bed section, the spring shown in Fig. 5is provided, the central coil 23 of which encircles the rock shaft 14-,while its ends 24 press to. ward the abutment 25 having opposite notches26, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and \Vhen the arms 10 swing past thevertical, the brace bar 15 comes against one of the terminal sections ofsaid spring and carries the same along resistance thereof, therebyeffecting two very important results, one bcing to cushion the descentof the arms 9, 10 and the movable bed section, and the other being torender their elevation easier. As the bar 15 swings over, it permits thedepressed spring-terminal to return to its abutment-notch 2G, and thenthe bar takes the other springterminal from its abutment-notch andcarries it along.

Another important function which is performed by this construction isthat of locking the movable bed-section down in each of its lowermostpositions. To accomplish this, I provide the strip of spring metal 27having holes at its ends through which pass the said studs 21, andlocated between the arm 10 and the lever 16. Near each stud, is acorrugation 29 the crest of which is adapted to permit the arm 10 toforcibly pass it and then to lock the latter in its position againstsuch stud, as indicated in Figs. 3.and at. baid spring strip 27 ispreferably slightly with it against the springmovable bed section intoits lowermost positions, said spring strips being adapted to .absorb aconsiderable proportion of the shock of such descent, by the resistanceto the arm 10 given by the corrugation which it meets. Without suchshock-absorber, the inovablebed-sectfion would land upon the floor witha heavy pound, for after the lever arm 16 has moved the arms 9, 10 wellpast of the grip their vertical positions, gravitation or momentum orboth carries the bed-sectionthe rest of theway over and down to thefloor. .After a quick pressure upon a treadle 17 has impelled themovable bed section Well past its intermediate position, its own gravityand momentum drive it onward and out I of the corrugation 29 confiningits arm 10. I n Although I have shown and described this device asapplied to a couch bed Whereinthe movable bed section is made tomaintain a parallel motion, yet it will. work substantially as well witha couch bed in which the arms 9 are omitted, and the said sectionissupported at its outer side by its legs 5, and the casters 30 rollback and forth upon the floor; the inner side of the movable sectionbeing supported upon the arms 10.

Without the sockets or hooks 22, the depressed end of'the treadle arm 16would be carried'to the floor, and so interfere with the rolling of thecouch bed about the-room.

What I claim as myinvention and'for which I desire Letters Patent is asfollows, to wit; Q 1. A couch bed comprising a stationary section,a'movable' section, a rocking frame carried by the stationary sectionand supporting the movable section, a treadle lever pivotallysupportedat its mid-length torock concentric with and relative, to said frame,fixed stops for limiting thedegree of movement of said lever, means forlimiting the extent to an angle materially less than that subtended bythe rocking frame of said le- "vers movement relative to said frame, anda yielding buffer carried 'by said lever for absorbing the shock of themovable sections termination of movement whereby the swing of said leveris considerably less than that of said frame whereby the operativelength of each section of the treadle lever is made long enough to giveample purchase for 2. A couch bed comprisinga stationary 1 section, amovable section, a rock-shaft supported by the stationary section, arm'sfixed to said shaft and pivoted at their free ends to a side of themovable section, a treadle lever loosely mounted at its-mid-length uponsaid shaft close beside one of said arms, a, I

plate loosely mountedon said shaft close beside the said arm, and studsrigidly connect ing said plate and lever, said studs being far enoughapart to permit a limited play of said arm between them.

3. A couch bed comprising a stationary section, a movable section, arock shaft supported by the stationary section, arms fixed on said shaftand connected with the movable section, a treadle leverloosely mountedat its mid-lengthupon, said shaft close beside one of said arms, a plateloosely mounted on said shaft close beside the last-mentioned arm andopposite to said lever, studs rigidly connecting said plate and leverat'a distance each side said arm, stops for limiting the movements ofsaid lever, and a shock ported by the stationary sect-ion, arms'fixed Ion said shaft and connected with said movable section, a treadle leverloosely mounted at its mid-length on said shaft close beside I one ofsaid arms, a plate loosely mounted on said shaft close beside the.last-mentioned 9' 5.

arm and opposite to said lever, studs rigidly connecting said plate andlever at a distance 'each side said arm, stops for limiting themovements of said lever, and a resilient plate having openingsv looselyfitting :said studs and corrugations adapted to act as shock absorbersfor the last mentioned arm.

including a shaft supported by the station-10 5 ary section andconnected" with the movable section, anda spring for partiallysupporting the movable section, said spring consisting of a length ofresilient wire-rod bent at its mid-length into a coil encircling saidshaft the stationary section being provided with a stop above said shaftadapted to be engaged by the terminal sections of said spring, saidswinging frame having a member adapted "to engage said terminal sectionsone at a time. a

In testimony that I claim the foregoing invention, I have hereunto setmy-hand this 4th day of December,'1911.

CLARENCE YOUNG.

Witnesses

